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Professor Nadia Thalmann presents “High Fashion in Equation”
Monday, November 12th

Professor Nadia Magnenat-Thalmann, MIRALab, University of Geneva, Switzerland, will present Miralab’s virtual garment creation software Fashionizer which imitates the real world tailoring process: taking 2 D patterns and placing them around a virtual mannequin in 3D space, sewn together to make a completed garment and finally simulated according to the physical properties of the fabric and environment. MiraLab has brought to life virtually 18 haute couture garments out of original archival fashion drawings of Guerin, Givenchy and Bohan. Professor Thalmann will discuss her research and present the software on Monday, November, 12, 2007 at 7:00 PM at the VCU School of Engineering Auditorium, Main Street. Admission is free and open to all VCU students and the public.

Prof. Nadia Magnenat-Thalmann has pioneered research into virtual humans over the last 25 years. She obtained several Bachelor's and Master's degrees in various disciplines (Psychology, Biology and Chemistry) and a PhD in Quantum Physics from the University of Geneva in 1977. From 1977 to 1988, she was a Professor at the University of Montreal where she founded the research lab MIRALab. She was elected WOMAN OF THE YEAR in the Grand Montreal for her pioneering work on virtual humans and presented the artistic part of her work at the MODERN ART MUSEUM in New York in 1988.

She moved to the University of Geneva in 1988, where she founded the Swiss MIRALab, an internationally interdisciplinary lab composed of about 25 researchers. She has received several scientific and artistic awards partly for the simulation of Marilyn and the film Rendez-Vous in Montreal. More recently, she has been elected to the SWISS ACADEMY OF TECHNICAL SCIENCES, been selected on July 15, 2006 among 16 women in the world who have contributed in ROBOTICS AND AUTOMATION in the Japanese journal JRSJ and selected as a pioneer of Information Technology at the HEINZ NIXDORF MUSEUM'S Electronic Wall of Fame in Germany (www.hnf.de).

She has directed and produced several films and real-time mixed reality shows, among the latest are THE AUGMENTED LIFE IN POMPEII (2005).  HIGH FASHION IN EQUATIONS (2006), THE XIAN TERRA COTTA SOLDIERS (2007). She is presently taking part in more than a dozen of European and National Swiss research projects and is the coordinator of the Network of Excellence (NoE), INTERMEDIA, the coordinator of the European Research Project, HAPTEX and the coordinator of the Marie Curie European Research training network, 3D ANATOMICAL HUMAN. She is editor-in-chief of the VISUAL COMPUTER JOURNAL published by Springer Verlag and co-editor-in-chief of the Computer Animation and Virtual Worlds journal published by Wiley. She also participated to political events such as the WORLD ECONOMIC FORUM in DAVOS where she was invited to give several talks and seminars. 

www.miralab.unige.ch

THE 2007 ANNUAL FASHION SHOW DIVINE DISORDER
April 9, 2007

April 9, 2007
Contact: Karen Videtic
804.828.1699
kmvidetic@vcu.edu

The Department of Fashion Design and Merchandising at Virginia Commonwealth University will host their 2007 Annual Juried Fashion Show, titled Divine Disorder, on Friday May 4, 2007 featuring the best 130 garments designed and produced by the fashion design students. The show will be held on VCU's campus in the Student Commons, Ballroom A&B. Tickets will go on sale April 1, 2007; $25 for general seating and $35 for preferred seating.

Divine Disorder will consist of eleven segments, ranging from couture loungewear to cocktail and evening dresses. The show will also feature a segment of menswear themed "Urban Cowboy”, and a segment featuring garments made entirely from organic fabrications. With the increasing awareness and popularity of environmentalism, as well as organics, this growing trend has filtered into the fashion industry. This trend, known as "eco fashion," will also be featured in the Fashion Department's 2007 fashion show.
This year, Cotton Incorporated, is the major sponsor of the fashion show including underwriting the cost of the production of the show, $9,000 in design student scholarships, cotton fabrication for several segments, and a trip to New York City to visit their Cotton Library and Trend Forecasting center.

VCU Fashion Perspective: Istanbul, Turkey 2007

Fashion VCU offers their alumni, students, family and friends this unique opportunity to visit one of the “hippest” destinations for 2007.

Summer: June 8-15th 2007
    
 $2,595 (Double Occupancy)
Single Supplement $350
Non-refundable deposit of $1,000 due no later than February 15, 2007
First come, first serve for only 20 people
Trip includes:
Round trip airfare Richmond, Virginia
6 nights hotel in the Istanbul city center, 3 Stars
Breakfast Daily
Half day tour of Istanbul
Exclusive appointments
 Airport transfers, hotel taxes and service charges
All daily appointments
Tentative Itinerary:
Half day city tour includes an overview of Istanbul and a boat ride on the Bosphorus
The Grand Bazaar: a labyrinth of streets covered by painted vaults with jewelry, textiles and wares to be purchased and coveted! (world famous)
St. Sophia Byzantine Church: 8th wonder of the world by many accounts
Blue Mosque: 17th century famous and largest mosques in Istanbul
Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts in the former Palace of Ibrahim Pasha
Topkapy Palace: former imperial residence where the Great Ottoman Empire was ruled
Exclusive appointments

Make all checks payable to Covington Travel. Balance Due March 15, 2007

VCU Fashion Design Student is finalist in Remix 2007 IFTF International Fur Design Competition

Fashion Design student, Soo Hyun Kim of Virginia Commonwealth University, has been selected as one of the top three U.S. finalists for Remix 2007 IFTF International Fur Design Competition for her fox fur swing coat with cape collar. The finalists were required to make a muslin of their garment which will then be produced by a professional furrier. The garments have been sent to Italy to compete on a global basis in March 2007 (Soo's entry is #19). We would like to extend our congratulations to the top three designers for this year’s competition: 1. Soo Hyun Kim of Virginia Commonwealth University , for a fox fur swing coat with cape collar. 2 Emily Jean Burnett of Parsons School of Design, for a duchess satin and sheared mink evening trench coat. 3.Natalia Pilipenka of FIT, for a dyed knitted jacket with black fox cables.

Karen Guthrie Videtic kmvidetic@vcu.edu

FASH 450 Line Development in Guatemala

The Spirit of Fashion Guatemala – Chicavioc 3 credits in Fashion Design & Merchandising Richmond May 24-26, June 12-13 Guatemala May 27 – June 10 Linda Lee ltlee@vcu.edu $2,200 + tuition Registration deadline: April 14, 2006 The Office of International Education and Department of Fashion Design and Merchandising, in conjunction with the Highland Support Project, are proud to present a 15 day program in Chicavioc, Guatemala for a unique service-learning opportunity. The Highland Support Project (HSP) is a locally based nonprofit organization who, for over a decade, have taken teams to Guatemala through its Partners in Service Program. Guatemala’s labor and resources are exploited in the international market due to the economic interest of North America. The Highland Support Project works to empower Maya artisans for just working conditions and product ingenuity. Course and credit options: 3 VCU credits FASH 450 Line Development Prerequisite: Junior status in Fashion Design & Merchandising Course description: VCU Fashion Design and Merchandising students will work together with HSP and Mayan artisans to create viable apparel and accessories for North American consumers using their design and merchandising skills. The aim is to produce an alternative, or fair trade, product that will be successful in boutiques throughout the US and Canadian markets. Fashion students will also learn about and see traditional processes and products of Mayan aesthetics. The participant’s time in Guatemala will be preceded by a 3-day workshop and followed up with a 2-day wrap-up session at VCU in Richmond. Program cost: $2,200 + VCU tuition The program fee covers all travel expenses including round trip airfare from Washington, DC, accommodations and meals, service project materials, in-country transportation, VCU administrative fees, and the International Student Identification Card. Students are responsible for the cost of tuition and other miscellaneous personal expenses. Please budget for these additional expenses. The estimated cost for personal expenses, not including tuition, is $250. Tuition: Tuition is charged separately and additionally at standard VCU rates for in-state students and at a 40 percent discount for out-of-state students. Estimated costs, based on current tuition per credit, are as follows: undergraduate in-state, $167 (per 3 credit class: $502); undergraduate out-of-state, $400 (per 3 credit class: $1,200); graduate in-state, $356 (per 3 credit class: $1,068); graduate out-of-state, $532 (per 3 credit class: $1,596). Airfare: Round-trip airfare from Washington, D.C. is included. Participants will be responsible for their own transportation to Washington. Payment of fees: The nonrefundable application fee of $50 is due upon registration. A nonrefundable deposit of $200 is due two weeks after receipt of the acceptance packet. Students who register after April 1 must pay the deposit and registration fee together upon registration. The balance of the program fee and the tuition costs will be billed through VCU Student Accounting after May 2006. Application deadline: April 14, 2005 Applications will be accepted until the deadline, or until participant space is full. Participant space will not exceed 15 placements. Activities and excursions: Participants will arrive in Guatemala City and will travel together to Antigua. The group will work out of Quetzaltenango and will visit workshops in Santa Catarina Ixtehuacan and Chichicastenango and women’s groups in Chantola and Chiucavioc. The trip will include a weekend visit to Lake Panajchel, a visit to Chichicastenango, a large Mayan market, mask makers facilities, Iximiche, a pre-Columbian Mayan city and a soccer game. Accommodations and meals: Participants will be housed in a European owned youth hostel in the mountains of Chicavioc. Meals are included. Financial aid and scholarships: Eligible VCU students may apply for need-based financial aid to participate in this program. Contact Linda Smith, VCU Financial Aid, Ginter House, Room 110 B; phone 828-7261; or e-mail: lcsmith@vcu.edu. VCU offers its students a limited number of scholarships for study abroad participation. Contact VCU Education Abroad or see our Web site for further details. Program director: Linda Lee have been an Assistant Professor in the Department of Fashion Design and Merchandising since 2004. She received her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Fashion Design at Pratt Institute. Prior to joining the faculty at VCU, Prof. Lee taught design at the Fashion Institute of Technology and Pratt Institute. Every effort is made to provide updated and accurate information at the time of publication. The sponsors reserve the right to make necessary changes to the programs and costs.

VCU Fashion Professor Designs Personal Responsibility Suit

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE August 31, 2006
Contact: Kristen Caskey, Associate Professor 804.828.1699

VCU Fashion Professor Designs Personal Responsibility Suit Kristen Caskey, Associate Professor in the Department of Fashion Design and Merchandising at Virginia Commonwealth University, designed both the fabric and garment of her “personal responsibility suit” for the “Who Cares” exhibition in Kristiansand, Norway. This exhibition is sponsored by the United Nations Commission and the Agder Regional Centre for the Arts September 18-30, 2006, and responds to their millennial goals of alleviating poverty, making education readily available, combating maternal ill health and AIDS, and working toward sustainable communities and entrepreneurial opportunities. Professor Caskey designed the images for fabric with the Lectra U4ia software, printing it on an industrial Mimaki printer in the CAD Fashion lab. She then made muslins and patterns to create both a dress and jacket representing the developed, Western world versus the rest of the world of scarce resources and limited opportunities. The jacket’s print represents her world of abundance that consumes the majority of the world’s resources, and is crowded with trees, clinics, chickens and plants. The dress represents the rest of the world: less cluttered and more Spartan and visually demonstrating the idea that there are places in the world where need is so great that they cannot be represented by even one person, one building, or one plant. Ms. Caskey believes that by calling attention to herself and taking personal responsibility, people will ask about her clothing and thus provide her an opportunity to discuss the United Nations goals and her commitment to raise $5,000 for Heifer International http://www.heifer.org/. Heifer International is a non-profit organization whose goal is to help end world hunger and poverty through self-reliance & sustainability.

Product Launch of Darla Luz:  October 5th, 2006

The Department of Fashion Design and Merchandising at Virginia Commonwealth University will host the product launch of Darla Luz, a modern tailored clothing line made in the spirit of native Mayan women on Thursday, October 5th, 2006 at 4:00 p.m. in the Commons Theater located in the Student Commons, 907 Floyd Avenue, Richmond, VA. This 45-minute presentation will recount the product development process the fashion students experienced during their two weeks in Guatemala working with the Highland Support Project (HSP) and Mayan artisans this past summer. The presentation will begin with the mission of the Highland Support Project and Alternatives, and their role in the empowerment of Mayan women and the improvement of working conditions and fair trade practices. Mr. Ben Blevins and his wife, Lupe, the founders of HSP and Alternatives will present this segment. Professor Linda Lee and her eight students will discuss the creative process used to design contemporary sportswear for a North American market while maintaining the integrity and respect for the work of native artisans. This Study Abroad -Service Learning course began in Richmond in May 2006 with market research and continued in Guatemala with textile research, product design, and sourcing issues. The third and final week was completed in Richmond with costing, pattern grading and sample procurement. A visual presentation of the trip will be followed by the initial launch of the apparel line, and a question and answer segment by students, faculty and participants.

VCU Fashion Perspective: Italy 2007

VCU Fashion Perspective: Italy 2007 Fashion VCU offers their alumni, students, family and friends the unique opportunity to visit Florence and Milan, Italy Spring Break Week: March 9-16th 2007 $2,275.00 (Double Occupancy) Single Supplement $400 Non-refundable deposit of $1,000 Due No later than November 1, 2006 First come, first serve for only 20 people Trip includes: Round trip airfare Richmond 3 nights at Three Star Florence hotel, Double Occupancy 3 nights at Three Star Milan hotel, Double Occupancy Airport transfers and transportation between cities Hotel taxes and service charges Daily breakfast Day Trip to Lake Como All daily appointments Tentative Itinerary: Florence: Santa Croce Leather School, Palzzo Pitti, San Lorenzo Market, Museo Salvatore Ferragamo, Galleria dell’ Academia Lake Como: Silk Factory, Silk Museum Milan: the Duomo, Quadrilatero Couture, Designer appointment, Couture discount, Santa Maria delle Grazie Refectory, Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II and La Scala Opera House and Museum Make all checks payable to Covington Travel. Balance Due January 15, 2007